Lent Day 27: March 23

Lenten Reflection for Day 27

Date: March 23, 2012

Author: Elaine Day

Bible Passage: Mark 10:27–30 (NRSV)

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

Reflection:

The above passage occurs right after a rich man asks Jesus what he must do to receive eternal life. The man has followed the commandments but Jesus tells him that he must sell all that he has and give the money to the poor. The very rich man will not do this and walks away forlorn. Jesus tells his disciples that it will be harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples then ask, “Who, then can be saved?” Jesus’ response is found in the verses for today. We cannot earn eternal life. Eternal life is only possible through God.

Peter hears these words but appears to be proving that he and the disciples are worthy of eternal life because they have put God before everything and followed Jesus. Jesus tells them that they will be abundantly rewarded for the sacrifices that they have made serving God. However, it is by the grace of God that they and we are saved not by our works. It is because of the grace of God that we want to follow Jesus and do good, because if we love God how can we enjoy doing evil?

Prayer:

Lord, God, increase my faith in you and help me to follow you each hour of the day. Amen.

Giving Service

Advent Day 16

Third Monday in Advent

December 12, 2011

Reading: Psalm 72:11–12 (NRSV)

¹¹May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. ¹²For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.

Theme: Giving Service

Reflection:

May all nations give God service. What does service to God look like? Is it worship, respectfully coming on regular occasions to give praise and thanks to God? Is it doing community service in the name of God? Yes and Yes!

In the Gospels (Matthew 22:37-40 and Luke 10:27), Jesus tells us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” We can serve God by honoring, loving and worshipping the Lord, and by showing, love, respect and service to our neighbors. The two are inseparably linked. Loving God, frees us to love our neighbor, and serving neighbor without loving God may turn into self-serving service, rather than a God-grounded love of neighbor.

In this Advent season, as we watch and wait, preparing for Jesus to come, preparation of our hearts opens us to full spectrum of service to God. The Christmas season is also a time when service to neighbors is desperately needed. As Charles Dickens writes in “A Christmas Carol”, this is a time when “want is keenly felt.” The secular Christmas season is a terribly difficult time to be poor in our culture. The media continually display extravagant “Christmas” celebrations, reminding those “without” just how little they really have.

Keep both aspects of service to God in your Advent preparations. Spend time in worship, prayer, meditation and praise to God. Then, look on your neighbors through Jesus’ eyes and heart. See where there is need and pray about how you might meet that need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to serve God through worship, prayer, and praise to God and through meeting the needs of my neighbors in God’s name. Amen